The Rise from the Ashes
by lummophoenix
Summary: "The Chaos Kin is going to destroy Pittoo! Can't you see what's at stake here? I don't CARE if my wings catch fire!" An introspection into Dark Pit and why "his and Viridi's interests just happen to overlap." Rated T because I'm cautious (there are a couple swears here and there). Currently on permanent hiatus and possibly up for adoption.
1. The Ring of Chaos pt 2

**The Rise from the Ashes**

_"The Chaos Kin is going to destroy Pittoo! Can't you see what's at stake here? I don't CARE if my wings catch fire!" An introspection into Dark Pit and why "his and Viridi's interests just happen to overlap."_

**Chapter 1 - Ring of Chaos pt. 2**

**Author's Notes: This is my first ever fanfiction, and I hope you guys enjoy. In case you can't tell, this story will contain spoilers from pretty much the entire story of Kid Icarus: Uprising, so watch out.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kid Icarus or any characters or events contained within this story from said game. All rights to said characters and events are owned by Nintendo.**

**Note (2.4.15): Thanks ShadmeTheAngel and my other anonymous reviewer! I hadn't noticed Dark Pit was so happy near the end. I suppose I was confusing him for Pit XD.**

_"No way! Humans could never be as selfish as the gods!"_

* * *

Dark Pit soared on a thermal across the ocean, thanks to the so-called grace of the goddess Palutena. Hades was finally gone, and the balance between Skyworld, the Overworld, and the Underworld had been restored. Pit himself was flying over the town nearest to the carnage, celebrating his hard-won victory.

As the black-winged angel dipped past his doppelganger deep in conversation with the goddesses in his head, he was deep in thought himself. He was jostled from his musings with a "Hey, Pittoo?" from the victor himself.

_If I hear that name one more time, I swear-_

Yet Dark Pit just could not bring himself to yell at his clone, and he didn't know why. Resigned, he felt Palutena pour more power into his wings, allowing him to soar off into the sunset, Pit close behind. Apparently - as he only caught snippets of the conversation between Palutena, Viridi, and Pit - both he and his white-winged twin were flying off into the sunset for some sort of "happy ending," or whatever. As if Dark Pit had any say in the situation at hand, since he could no longer fly by himself.

After a few minutes of savoring the air above the ocean, Palutena's voice echoed in Dark Pit's head.

_Just so you know, Pittoo -_

_PLEASE stop calling me that._

_-since you're probably not used to it, the power of flight is running out. You're welcome to stay in Skyworld if you so wish, but I'm calling Pit back now. _

Dark Pit said nothing to this, contemplating his choices. If he stayed in Skyworld, he'd probably be at the beck and call of Palutena. That would be a life changer, since even though Dark Pit needs Pit to survive, he didn't need to be with his copy all the time. He was sure that Palutena still harbored some resentment towards him for having been created. Of course, that wasn't his fault, but as the goddess of light, anything created by the Underworld Army threatened her realm of existence. And as she had said before, he was inherently wicked and destructive. She didn't seem to have much faith in him, probably because he had no intentions of becoming her faithful puppet.

But if he went out on his own, he would have no security or safety. He would probably have to venture forth into the world looking for shelter and food, and he would have to fend for himself, possibly fighting off hostile forces or monsters left from Hades' reign. Was it worth his safety if it meant dealing with Palutena? Dark Pit couldn't decide.

However, he didn't have to make that choice yet, as Palutena revoked his power of flight. Apparently she took his silence to mean he didn't need any help. Secretly, he was a little disappointed at this assumption, but that was the least of his concerns. After all, he was now plummeting to the ground at an increasingly alarming rate.

_At least there's some rubble down there..Much better than drowning of course._

Dark Pit spread his wings, hoping to slow his fall as much as possible before crash landing. After all, he didn't have a goddess to provide heavenly healing right now. It was moments like these that made him wish he had never gone to save his copy at the Rewind Spring, if only so he wouldn't plunge to his death. That godsdamned Pandora..

He supposed helping his twin was worth it now, even as he plummeted towards the ever-growing ground. If it came between existence and flight, Dark Pit assumed existing would come first every time.

* * *

As he hit the ground between some fallen pillars, the black-winged angel heard a sickening _KRIIAAACK_. Horrified, he pushed up from the rubble, only to find he had cracked the purple gem on his shoulder. He breathed a sigh of relief, although he was quite surprised to find himself otherwise unharmed. Maybe Palutena had left him with a little divine protection on the fall down. Though doubtful and a little confused, Dark Pit decided to decipher his surroundings.

He had landed in a town that seemed deserted, since the town had been nearly reduced to rubble, but a closer look revealed a few citizens still making a decent living. Perhaps coincidentally, he had landed between those two pillars, out of the people's eyes, so he could psych himself up. Humans probably weren't used to seeing angels around, and he was definitely no ordinary angel.

Stepping into the light, he walked through the ruins, passing a few people who began to notice the stranger in their midst. There didn't seem to be many friendly faces in the town; in fact, most of the people slowly closed their doors or huddled in the shadows to avoid Dark Pit's gaze.

_Odd.. What did I ever do to these guys?_

The few people who stayed from their homes were murmuring to themselves and shooting glares in Dark Pit's general direction. He found if he listened closely he could make out a few words..

_...what is that pile of angel trash doing here? Didn't he have enough fun destroying our town last month?_

_Bro, I don't think you should be saying that, he's looking at us.._

_Fuck that! A simple dye job won't stop me from recognizing that walking ammunitions depo…_

_Dye job? _Dark Pit thought. _This is all natural.. Unless they mean Pit.._

The first person sent another glare Dark Pit's way, prompting the second person to grab his arm and shush him, almost whimpering. The first person pushed his friend off of him, however, and strutted out into the open.

"Whassa matter with you, angel face?! You think you can show your face here again after everything you've done to us?" He grabbed the angel's scarf and yanked him closer. Dark Pit stared in confusion, anger slowing rising within him.

"Yeah, goddess trash! I'm talkin' ta you! Got anything to say for yourself?" His breath wafted into the angel's face, causing him to gag. Frustrated, the man threw the angel to the ground. Dark Pit turned, shooting arrows from his eyes at the man.

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

Dark Pit slowly stood to face the man, brushing off his chiton, still covered in dust and grime from the fall. "You know that angel who attacked you wasn't me, right?" he murmured, smirking at his assaulter. "I've got much more style than that jerk."

"And how do you expect me to believe that?" His enemy stared at the angel in blatant disbelief.

"Well, first off, that guy had brown hair and blue eyes, right? Named Pit by any chance?"

"I suppose so, since he was too busy ATTACKING AND KILLING US for idle chitchat!"

"Right, right, anyway - "

"Get to the point, jerkface! I don't have all day, since we're kinda busy rebuilding our town that you destroyed!"

"See, that's where you're wrong, sir," Dark Pit gathered his thoughts, folding his arms and fondling with his scarf. "I'm not Pit. I'm his skia*, or shadow, if you will. The servant of the goddess of light, Palutena, was being controlled for 3 years by a being known as the Chaos Kin, who, by the way, tried to kill me too." The angel turned a little and stared directly into his aggressor's eyes, smirking. "If I have my time periods right, we just defeated that thing a couple weeks ago, maybe a month, and it's rotting in its own domain as we speak. Got all that, sir?"

The man scowled. "And just how am I supposed to believe that?"

"Angel face? What did you do to your hair? Haven't gotten soft since I beat you, huh?"

Confused, Dark Pit turned around and found himself staring up at a giant brute with a large club he vaguely recognized from Pit's weapon vault. What was the name of that weapon anyway.. the Mango Club? Magna? No..

"Something wrong, angel face?" The tall man had a glint of concern in his eyes.

"Why do you keep calling me that? Do you know Pit?" Dark Pit scowled up at him.

"Of course I know him! You were in my body! Wait - you're not Pit? … I'm confused, then. Who are you, buddy, and why do you look like Pit?" He folded his arms, frowning deeply at the dark angel.

"Magnus Club!" Dark Pit blurted out. The man stared at the angel, who chuckled. "You're Magnus, right? You have the same weapon that Pit does. I saw it in his vault when I..ah, never mind. Sorry." Dark Pit's wings ruffled a little as they stood in silence.

"Oh, right! Ahem. My name is Dark Pit," said the dark angel. Magnus stared at him, raising an eyebrow. "I know. I don't like it any more than you do, but it's much better than the alternative- "

"AHEM."

Dark Pit jumped, almost falling to the ground. Behind him was the man he had been arguing with, intensely glaring his way. Of course he was still an issue.

"Oh, right. I forgot where we were." Facepalming, he said, "Kay, dude, seriously, I didn't kill anyone besides all the Underworld troops wrecking this place, so I don't know what your deal is with me. Your beef is with Pit, right?"

"Actually, I can answer that," Magnus interjected, sidestepping in between Dark Pit and the stranger. "See, the reason why I know Pit is I was him for a time. Or was he me?" He waved his hand. "Forget it. The point is, I know that angel, and he's a good kid." Gesturing to Dark Pit, he said, "Since you're his skia or whatever, I assume you're decent too- "

"Hey, I take offense to that," Dark Pit grumbled.

"-so the point is, leave the angel alone, dude, or I won't hesitate to put the hurt on you, no matter how much money you offer," Magnus finished, brandishing his club with a slight grin.

The stranger's friend tried pulling him away from the angel and the mercenary, but he held his ground. "That doesn't change how many people died at his hands! He must pay for what he did here!" His eyes began to tear up, and Dark Pit felt a wave of, er, pity for the man.

"Look," Dark Pit sighed, "I understand that you lost a lot from those attacks. I myself was in limbo for over three years, and I assume you at least lost a home or family member. That can never be replaced, I'm sure." The man nodded, looking down.

"But what I can do is tell you that now, Palutena's Army have eradicated the problem. The Chaos Kin, who I already mentioned, is gone. He's a pile of ash in the Chaos Vortex, and if he ever comes back, I swear on my life that I will never hesitate to hunt him down." He moved towards the man, placing his dirtied arm around the stranger's back, scowling a bit. "I know Pit definitely did not mean to kill all those innocent people for a fact. When I was in limbo, I could feel his anguish at being out of commision and killing innocents. Pit doesn't kill people."

"True," Magnus said. "When we took down Gaol, he was shocked to learn she was a human. I can't imagine the kid killing people for fun."

"So," Dark Pit finished, "do you trust me now?" He offered a hand to the fallen stranger. "I'm not that bad, right?"

He grudgingly took the angel's hand, bracing himself to stand. "I suppose not; after all, you aren't Pit. I can't exactly blame you.."

Dark Pit stared at the man, a hint of a grin showing through his red eyes. "No, no, you can't. Now where do you live?"

The stranger's friend came over. "No, I got this. Thanks, though." He smiled a toothy grin. "I've never seen him get like that, even if we had any angel sightings."

Magnus walked up behind the angel and whispered in his ear, "Nice job, skia. Ya done good, especially at calming these guys down. This place's been awfully unsettled since Pit wreaked havoc around here."

Dark Pit's eyes glinted towards the mercenary as they began walking. "Hey thanks. And skia? You heard that?" Nodding, he said, "Impressive."

Magnus couldn't help but grin at the angel. "Now, I wanna know something."

Dark Pit stopped walking, letting the stranger and his friend be on their way. He frowned. "And what's that, Magnus?"

"I wanna know your story, skia. Sounds like you've had a well-lived life." The mercenary had a warm smile on his face.

Dark Pit couldn't help but smile back. Magnus' expression was infectious. "Alright, but we better find some food first. I'm starving!" His stomach gurgled quietly, and the angel cringed.

Magnus chuckled. "You've definitely got some Pit in you, alright."

* * *

***In case you couldn't tell, skia is Greek for shadow, so I'll be using it in this fic to refer to Dark Pit, at least from Magnus. I've been thinking of using that as his name, in fact, but idk yet..**

**Posted 1.30.15; edited 2.4.15**


	2. Magnus and the Dark Pit

_Desc: "The Chaos Kin is going to destroy Pittoo! Can't you see what's at stake here? I don't CARE if my wings catch fire!" An introspection into Pittoo and why "his and Viridi's interests just happen to overlap."_

**Chapter 2 - Magnus and the Dark Pit**

**Author's Note: Hey, new chapter finally! This chapter got so out of control, and it ends on a weird note..heh. I was planning on updating Friday, but that clearly didn't happen. Make sure to check the notes at the bottom too! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kid Icarus or any characters or events contained within this story from said game. All rights to said characters and events are owned by Nintendo.**

_"I guess you wouldn't be an angel if you didn't do things by the book."_

* * *

Within the broken town that the inhabitants had began to call the Decimated Town, Dark Pit and Magnus sat, chewing on some fresh, steaming pastries. The angel's face was covered in purple jelly as he ate pastry after pastry, and Magnus stared with shock as the angel swallowed almost half his body weight in fat and grain.

Magnus took a few seconds to gather himself at the sight. Then he said, "Hey, skia, ya done yet?"

Dark Pit's face gained a slight red tinge. "Oh, did I go overboard? Ehe.. I haven't exactly eaten any real food in a long time; probably since I helped Pit with the Chaos Kin, in fact.." _Being around Pit must be affecting me more than I thought.. I would never have eaten like this.._

"Is that part of your story, too?" the mercenary asked, leaning back in his chair. His eyes glanced towards the angel in pity. Surely, he had led a rough life if he hadn't eaten anything in a few weeks.

The dark angel sighed, wiping a few crumbs from in between his scarf folds. "Yeah, it is. I suppose we should start then. Better get settled, Magnus, 'cause this is a long story.."

"It all began in the Labyrinth of Deceit.."

* * *

"_Let's get right to introductions; This here is Dark Pit," said Pandora, literally glowing with pride at me, her new "angel", as I landed smoothly on the ground. Maliciously, she grinned at Pit and smirked, saying, "He'll be your escort out of this life."_

_ Now, of course I couldn't let her have her way. I may have just been created, but she seemed like a grade-A bitch. And no one - NO ONE - gets to tell me what to do.  
_

* * *

Magnus sat on the edge of his seat, intrigued. "So what did you do?"

Dark Pit smirked at the memory. "I backhanded her, of course. The dumb blob never saw it coming."

* * *

_Both Pit and Pandora were agape as the glowing ball of gas flew across the room. _

"_Speak for yourself." While Pit was shocked, I think Palutena snapped him out of it, and we proceeded to lay the beatdown on godsdamned Pandora. Then, I stole her powers and was able to fly indefinitely. It was great, much better than depending on a goddess for only 5 minutes of airtime._

_ After that, I went off to fight Pit. I know, I know, it doesn't really make sense now, but I didn't really have a purpose back then. I thought I was the original, since I was made from all of that dumb angel's repressed feelings. Of course, Medusa had to ruin the whole thing. She thought she could control me, like Pandora. So I fought her armies too, forgetting about my clone for a while._

_ I heard a bit of what Medusa and Palutena were talking about, and apparently I was a flawed clone. I was inherently wicked and destructive, and "I must be eliminated." Of course the Pit-stain had to ruin the whole thing and go along with whatever Palutena said.._

_ Eventually, I heard Pit land on the ground, so I flew up to the top of a mountain, wielding a special staff designed for sniping from a distance. He'd never see it coming._

_ And yet he did.. again, and again, and again._

_ It seemed that Palutena was helping him, providing him with a Back Shield, extra healing, and even magical lasers. Those things hurt. When he reached me at the top of the mountain, he smacked me upside the head with an Atlas Club, and I went flying._

_ We clashed a few more times, culminating in, once again, me flying in the air from a club smack. I was getting sick of getting my ass kicked, so I cut my losses and got the heck out of Dodge._

* * *

"Dodge?" Magnus asked, frowning. "What's Dodge?"

"Dunno," Dark Pit replied, "I guess it's a saying or something."

* * *

_Anyway, after that, it's all a blur. I helped Pit defeat Medusa as I had promised, though that wasn't without its own setbacks either. I injured my leg* kicking down the dumb Underworld Gatekeeper, but Pit made it out alive, so that's something, I guess. _

_ That's when I met Viridi._

* * *

"Oh, the goddess of nature, right?" Magnus mentioned. He scowled, grumbling, "The one who wants to kill us all?"

"That's the one," Dark Pit nodded. "Although she's actually not that bad.."

* * *

_At least, her commanders aren't. Arlon - you know, the guy who had that blatant Death Star ripoff in the sky? - he's a bit too uppity for me, and Phosphora's a bit too bubbly for me, but Viridi's ok. She let me fight sometimes in her commanders' steads, so that was exciting. Still not too excited about her Reset Bombs wiping out all of humanity, but whatever. 'S no skin off my back._

_ I really, really hate the Lunar Sanctum though. And it's all because of Arlon. That dumb, uptight ballerina boy really messed with my head. _

_ He told me that if I came to his floating sky palace, I'd get a chance to fight Pit, maybe even get rid of him for a while. All I had to do was fight in this wide open room with a giant glowing sphere that radiated power in the center. Naturally, I agreed, 'cause that was my ultimate goal, right? Killing Pit?_

_ My first tip off that things wouldn't go my way was when I missed a shot from my Silver Bow, and it hit that sphere. The damn thing shot back at me! I tested it some more with a few continuous fire shots, but I was too slow, and the explosions hit me. Of course, as this happened, I heard Pit - the jerk - laughing at me, so I fired a charge shot into his smug little face._

_ It was great for a while after I discovered that little mix up with the sphere, just fighting for a long, exhilarating time; but then, Pit got one too many lucky shots in with his damn Virgo Palm, and I died. ..Well, not really died, just lost the energy to fight. _

_I flew off to Arlon's control center, abandoning Pit, but the ballet guy seemed distracted, pacing around the room. Rubbing the back of his head, he was muttering things like "Oh, that angel left the Lunar Sanctum defenseless", "All chaos is gonna break loose", and "Mistress Viridi's gonna have my head for this". His pacing around the room seemed more like tap dancing or Irish step. It was so unfitting a man named "Arlon the SERENE," I could have laughed if not for what happened next. Then he noticed I was in the room, caught my eyes, and, oh, I don't think even Hades could have struck as much fear into my mind as Arlon did in that moment. His eyes were raging torrents of hellfire that felt like they could almost pierce my soul._

_ For a guy named "Arlon the Serene", he could really scare the crap out of you. I, once again, turned away and flew as fast as Pandora's remains could carry me before anything got worse. I don't know how Pit dealt with Arlon, but I don't really want to know, quite frankly. I heard he's mellowed out a bit since then, so that's a bright side, I guess._

_ After that little fiasco, it was a long while before I met up with Pit-stain again, though it didn't help that he got turned into a ring. For over THREE YEARS._

* * *

"Yeah, can't forget something like that," Magnus lamented. "Those were tough times."

Dark Pit grumbled, "Tell me about it.."

* * *

_The last thing I remember from before the whole Chaos Kin hullabaloo is flying towards Viridi's domain. I had heard one of her Reset Bombs go off during the night; but then, I saw a massive, fiery explosion in the air. Then I saw something like a giant spiky rocket soar off into space. Not sure quite what was going on there..maybe it had something to do with the giant canyons around the world I saw a few days earlier._

_ Anyway, then I felt exhausted. I started falling, but Pandora's powers thankfully kept me airborne for a while. I felt a slight jolt of electricity as I hit the ground, but that's all I can remember before my vision faded. All I knew then was black and my own thoughts._

_ I had a few lucid dreams, mostly in a town actually quite similar to this one, where I was wielding a Darkness Bow. It felt awkward in my hands, as if I was being pulled around. It broke my admittedly hardened heart as I fired lethal shots at humans, but there was obviously nothing I could do._

_ ..Except for one instance, when I somehow gained control of my body for a few seconds. My brain rushed with exhilaration as I flew as far away as I could, in an act of strange heroism. I shouted, "Run! I can't stop this!" at the people, and I noticed my voice was annoyingly higher than usual. It tickled my throat like a cold glass of soda._

* * *

"Speaking of soda," Dark Pit stopped, "I'm getting thirsty.. All this talking is really rough on my throat."

"Oh yeah, sure, skia; I got you covered," Magnus offered. "Be right back." He lumbered over to where the two had bought their pastries, speaking with the baker about some beverages.

Dark Pit sighed. Telling his whole life story took a lot out of him, almost like he had been in the battle with Amazon Pandora all over again. He slumped over in his seat and laid his head between his arms. His eyelids fluttered as his exhaustion threatened to put him to sleep.

"Hey, hey, skia?" Magnus shook the angel's shoulders. "You doin' ok? Don't fall asleep on me just yet."

He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "No, I'm good, Magnus. Just need some caffeine." He took a gulp of his newly acquired soda. "Let's just finish this story; then I can rest."

"If you say so.. Just don't expect me to carry you home after this!" Magnus chuckled.

* * *

_Alright, where were we? Oh, right, my dreams._

_ Because of my shrill little voice, I realized I was in Pit's body. Like, the original Pit's body. Naturally, I was confused why Pit himself wasn't in his body, and why I was there instead; especially since I knew that the Pit-stain would never harm a human. By then, I had lost control, and was back to the abyss that was my world for the better part of 3 years. _

_ During that time, obviously, I had plenty of time to think. And I came to a conclusion after all that. Pit and I are connected. Like, we share the same soul - or is it thoughts? No, it's soul - so we can affect each other. Because of this, I'm not so sure killing him is the right thing to do. I mean, if him being stored in a ring puts me under and in limbo, who knows what killing him will do?_

_ Once I was free, I woke up in Viridi's domain. Of course, Arlon was sitting there, staring at me as I lay in a soft straw bed. _

_ "Well, the shadow awakes!" he chuckled, slowly standing. "I'd best go tell Mistress Viridi." He turned towards me. "She's been worried sick about you, you know."_

_ I grunted at him, attempting to sit up. I wasn't up for idle chitchat, evidenced by the sharp pain in my gut._

_ "Lay down, Pittoo. You're still hurt; though quite frankly, no one can tell why." Arlon stepped through the door, glancing my way with a look of - ugh - pity._

* * *

"Wait, your name's Pittoo?" Magnus asked, confused.

"Oh, hell no," Dark Pit ranted. "My 'official' name is Dark Pit, thanks to Pandora. I guess Palutena thought 'Pittoo' sounded better or something, but if you value your life, you'll NEVER call me that."

"Alright," Magnus said, raising his hands in surrender, "I won't. I prefer skia for you anyway," he smiled.

* * *

_I felt miserable. My gut ached, and I couldn't feel my toes. The stubs of my wings itched, and I knew I needed to fly soon. Even the beds of my fingernails itched and burned, though I wasn't quite sure why._

_ As I examined my surroundings, I realized I had actually never seen what Viridi's domain looked like. I was engulfed by a giant umber tree, vines whorling through tangled branches and soft brown leaves._

_ Suddenly, I sat up. Or at least, I attempted to sit up and injured myself. Why? Well, I got this warm, glowy feeling that Pit was close by. I didn't know how, since I had never been able to tell where he was before._

_ Shakily, I unfurled my wings and enabled my Power of Flight. _Thank goodness the Power of Flight doesn't require any effort, or I'd be stuck on this bed, _I thought._

_ I followed that burning feeling and quietly glided through winding tunnels and branches left and right, attempting to find my twin. All of a sudden, I felt another sharp wave of pain in my gut as I approached a door into a large, open room, and somehow I knew Pit was inside. _

_Carefully, I used my wings to open the door a bit, peeking my head around the corner. I heard voices, so I knew I would have to be cautious. Then, I heard a whinny from behind me._

_Confused, I turned around. Two large, white unicorns were hitched to a red and gold chariot, the unicorns jumping around like they were restless or something. I could feel electricity in the air just from being around them. _

"_Oh, hey Pittoo -"_

"_Don't call me that."_

" _\- I see you've met Phos and Lux here," said Phosphora, floating towards me. My skin felt uncomfortably tingly from all this electricity. The Lightning Flash continued, "They're beauts, aren't they?"_

_I hovered for a sec, then replied, "Yeah, I guess." I reached up to gently stroke one of the unicorn's necks, and it whinnied again. It shocked my hand, but it didn't hurt like I thought it would. It felt like a massage, and it relaxed my entire body. _

"_We got this thing from the Chariot Master. Pit's gonna use it to save Palutena," she scoffed, waving her hand. "As if I care. But these babies are mine after he uses it, along with the chariot. Viridi gave them to me. Aren't they just gorgeous?" She was beaming, small tendrils of electricity threatening to shock me._

_ "Yeah… they're great," I murmured. The gentle electricity coursing through my body, while soothing, was making me a little dizzy, so I hovered away from the unicorn. "So what's with Palutena then? You said Pit's gonna save her, right?"_

_ Phosphora visibly deflated. "Oh. Well, I guess she's being controlled by something. The Chaos Kin, I think? Pit thinks he can save her, since he was under its control for a while too.."_

_ "Wait," I interjected, "he was being controlled too?! For how long?"_

_ "Oh, I don't know," she pondered, "about three years, I think?"_

_ I urged on, "And how long was I here unconscious?"_

_ "Uh, three...years?" she realized. "Woah, that's weird."_

_ My wings fluttered frantically, and Phos and Lux became agitated. I braced my head, recalling all the chaos I - no, Pit - caused all over the world. It finally clicked._

_ "I'm Pit!" I blurted out._

_ Phosphora looked confused. "Uh, no you're not. You're not a yes-man like he is. So cute.." She gazed off into the distance._

_ "Uh, no," I attempted to clarify. "I think that - though I could be wrong - I'm connected with Pit somehow. I had these dreams while I was out, and I was Pit in those. It all makes sense." I paced through the air around the room. "Maybe we aren't the same person, but we're definitely connected somehow; I just don't know how yet. It explains why I was out for the same amount of time he was out -"_

_ "He was a ring."_

_ " - ok, the same time that he was a ring, whatever. The point is, I'm connected to Pit, and we're almost the same person." I smirked. "I'm just way better, that's all."_

_ Phosphora giggled a little. "Feisty, eh?"_

_ I groaned. "Not like that.."_

_ Suddenly, I felt a tug in my gut. Thankfully, it wasn't painful anymore because of the unicorn, but it still meant one thing. Pit was close by._

_ "I can't let him see me!" I panicked. "I can't explain it; I just have a bad feeling about this, Phosphora." _

_ "Just go in the alcove over there, Pittoo. He'll never spot you..though I don't get it." She waved towards the upper left, revealing a tightly-knit nest of branches I could hide in. Then, she went back to cleaning the Lightning Chariot for Pit._

_ I watched Pit and Viridi walk in and speak to Phosphora, and she reluctantly handed the reins over to the angel, her longingly staring at the unicorns the whole time. I watched in curiosity as Viridi opened the doors to the room they had been in before. In a flash (heh), Pit and the Lightning Chariot disappeared._

_ "You can come down now!"_

_ I peered over the ledge. It was Viridi who had spoken, confusingly enough. Slowly and carefully, I guided myself near the ground. My body was still exhausted, but my wings still worked fine. _

_ "I heard everything, Pittoo -"_

_ "Seriously, what does it take to get you guys to stop calling me that?"_

_ " -and I want you to help me with something," the goddess of nature inquired surprisingly seriously. "As you may not know, I am a diviner. I have prophetic dreams sometimes, and today, I dreamt that Palutena will be in danger."_

_ I rolled my eyes. Of COURSE she would be in danger. Being controlled by a creature of chaos is kind of dangerous.._

_ "Anyway," Viridi continued, "I'll need you to be ready to go help her whenever this happens, because I know Pit won't be able to do it alone."_

_ I crossed my arms. "I don't have to take orders from you, especially to save a goddess."_

* * *

"You actually said that?" Magnus said in shock. "You've got courage, skia."

"Just speaking my mind," Dark Pit replied.

* * *

_"Oh, really?" Viridi asked, raising an eyebrow. "No, you do. I've seen how this goes down without your help, and yes, Pit dies too. Meaning what, Pittoo?" She smirked._

_ I groaned, scowling at the pretentious little goddess. "I probably die too. Yeah, I get it. Fine, I'll help. What do I need to do?"_

_ She grinned like a maniac. "I've sent Phosphora out to grab the Lightning Chariot back from Pit, so you'll need that. When I tell you, ride it through that gate into the giant tear in the sky."_

_ "What?!" I yelled. "Why?!" _

_ She smirked, folding her arms. "Oh, you'll see. Just don't let Pit know we're working together."_

_ I did it, alright. That tear in the sky led to the Chaos Vortex, home of the Chaos Kin. If I hadn't used Phos and Lux to break through that barrier, Palutena would probably still be made of stone right now._

_ After that, Viridi sent me out into the Chaos Vortex to kill the Chaos Kin, and I had to battle many annoying enemies. Frustratingly, though I went ahead of Pit into the vortex, I lost track of the Chaos Kin and got lost in the abyss. Talk about a difficulty spike. Once I finally reached Pit and the little bug, I helped him kill some more enemies. Thank goodness for Phos - or was it Lux? I'm not sure - because that electricity from before healed my aching muscles. Otherwise I would've been dead weight. Though, I got shot by hearts (his damn Viridi Palm), turned to stone, frozen, and shot by lasers. Of course, I shot Pit too, but I can't kill him; yet, he almost killed me. How is that fair?_

_ Whatever. We finally beat the Chaos Kin into a pile of ash and got Palutena's soul back. That's when everything went wrong._

_ Pit celebrated with Palutena for a short time, since they hadn't seen each other in three years. Makes sense. I walked over to join them, but apparently the little bug just didn't want to stay dead. _

_ All I knew after it grabbed me was pain. My gut felt like a miniature sun going supernova and threatening to split my soul in half, and I only barely remember something grabbed me. It looked like Pit, and when he grabbed my arms, I felt whole again. Viridi warped us back to Palutena, and I was ok. Pit, however, wasn't so lucky._

_ His wings smelled of all the feathers he was now missing. It permeated my nose and seeped into the fabric of my chiton. I couldn't remove that scent for weeks. I still gag thinking about it, in fact. Palutena embraced him, tearing up a little, and then we warped to her domain._

_ The brightness of her palace did not fit the current darkness we were all feeling. My gut had that sharp twinge again, and I knew this wasn't going to be good. After a long silence, Viridi spoke up._

_ "I never meant for this to happen.." she lamented, hiding her face in her hands. "I saw this! I couldn't stop it, and I knew.."_

_ "It's ok," Palutena whispered. "He'll be fine."_

_ Viridi stopped murmuring. "What do you mean? I mean, I know he's alive, but -_

_ " -an angel's life force resides in their wings, yes," Palutena finished. "That's why Pittoo -_

_ "Seriously, stop calling me that."  
_

_ " -you're going to go to the Underworld. You are the only one who can save him," Palutena declared._

_ I sat there in the room, the two goddesses lifting their heads to stare at me._

_ "Fine," I reluctantly acquiesced. "Just tell me where to go, and I'll go." I stood up. "But this is only for Pit. NOT for you guys." I scowled, turning my head away from their guilty faces. It pierced my aching gut to see their pain, and my face softened a little._

_ "As you wish… Dark Pit," sighed Palutena. "It will be a tough journey, so please help yourself to any of the weapons from Pit's collection."_

_ Slowly, I made my way over to the large weapon vault used for Pit's holy armaments. I found a large weapon I thought would be useful, the End-All arm. It had large, powerful shots that my Silver Bow just couldn't match up to. After all, if this went well, I'd never get a chance to anything like this again, so I'd better make it count._

_ As Palutena sent me out, I realized we weren't in the Underworld like where Medusa was. It kind of freaked me out, all these sharp blue crystals shooting up from the ground, but I kept my calm. I had to survive._

_ As Viridi and Palutena argued more about the plan, Hades appeared. He sassed me some, calling me goth, but I didn't really see the big deal. He's just the ruler of the Underworld, right? I focused on killing Underworld monsters._

_ ...I didn't really get why we had to save Pit. I mean, I know I would be gone if he died, but Viridi and Palutena were saying they needed Pit only to save the world. Was I dead weight to them or something? I have exactly the same strengths as Pit, and I'm way less lead-brained than him. Plus, I was flying literally right in front of Hades. I might've been able to weaken him a bit. I don't know, it just doesn't make sense. _

* * *

"They probably didn't want you gone too," Magnus suggested. "If you died against Hades, how would they have saved Pit?"

"Phosphora could have gone," Dark Pit pointed out. "She had the Lightning Chariot, and she defeated Thanatos before. She is ditzy, but she's strong; I can't deny that."

* * *

_Anyway, that's when we found out Hades made all his troops out of human souls. He made it sound like he wanted my soul too. Ugh. Still disgusting. It's such a huge waste. He was supposed to protect souls on their journey back into life, but instead he used them to make monsters that went down in a couple shots from a bow or blade, removing them from existence entirely. Plus, he ate souls. Talk about revolting._

_ I eventually reached what's called the Rewind Spring, which Viridi explained was a pool that, if you soaked in it, you could rewind time. Hence the name. I was going to dip Pit's wings into the pool, saving his and my life._

_ As I landed, I felt a burning in my wings, and I let out a loud cry. I lifted my head, and guess who was floating above me?_

* * *

"Uh, Pit? The Chaos Kin?" Magnus guessed.

'"Oh, I wish," the dark angel sighed. "No, it was Pandora."

* * *

_I guess I didn't take only flight powers into my wings, I had that entire goddess in there. Gross. Using my fancy arm weapon, I took her down. Easiest boss ever; even easier than that stupid Underworld Gatekeeper. Then she jumped into the Rewind Spring. That's where things got weird. _

_ When she came out of the water, she was a human. Or, human-esque goddess, I don't know. Whatever. She seemed attractive, I guess. At least, to Viridi, since she was freaking out and shouting about "overcompensating". I was too focused on taking Pandora down, which wasn't as easy as before. She kept making these mirrors that turned my shots into hearts -really? - that homed in on me. Still, I won, and Pit was saved._

_ I couldn't bear seeing Pit so happy, though, once he was revived, especially because I was the one who saved him. Before then, I rarely helped him, except for the Chaos Kin. So I ran. Dignified, I know. He needed time to stay with Palutena after three years of separation, anyway. There was one problem though; I couldn't fly anymore. I had to suck it up as Viridi warped me back to her domain._

_ Back in the giant tree that was Viridi's domain, Phosphora and Arlon were waiting for me. I'm not really sure why, only that it seemed it was for something important. Oddly enough, the goddess of nature herself was nowhere to be seen._

_ "Oh hey, Pittoo!" Phosphora cheered. "You're back, yay!"_

_ I groaned, glaring at her. "Don't call me that."_

_ "But it's just so cute, Pittoo!" she squealed. "Pittoo. Pittoo. Pit-tooooo…"_

_ "Dear, please stop," Arlon said as he put his hand on her head. "You're scaring away the poor angel." He turned to me. "Mistress Viridi called us here, presumably about you."_

_ I frowned, folding my arms. "Me. Why?"_

_ Arlon's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure, but the Mistress said it was a matter of life and death." He waved his hand. "She's dramatic like that."  
_

_ I scoffed. "Kinda like you, right, Mr. 'Chaos is gonna break loose'!" Folding my arms, I continued, "You were the one who caused all this! If only you had told Pit about the damn Chaos Kin, it wouldn't have broken free!"_

_ Arlon sighed. "I know, Master Pittoo, but my lips were sealed. I am beholden to Mistress Viridi, and I thought Master Pit was not a formidable foe. I was sorely mistaken, and we all paid the price."_

_ "Yes, Arlon, we did," agreed Viridi, striding into the room._

_ Both Arlon and Phosphora turned and bowed to her, saying, "Welcome back, Mistress Viridi," while I stood there glaring at the young goddess._

_ "Pittoo, welcome back," Viridi directed towards me. "I have a proposition for you."_

_ Taken aback by the serious tone the room had now taken on, I relaxed. "And what, perhaps, would that be?"_

_ "I had another dream yesterday, and this one was rather confusing," the goddess elaborated. "I saw Pit get eaten by Hades, but he didn't die. He was in some other dimension; I guess Hades doesn't have any organs?" She shuddered. "That guy becomes less and less natural by the day. Ew. Anyway, I'm pretty sure I saw you, Pittoo, riding the Lightning Chariot through Hades to save Pit."_

_ I groaned. "Do I have to do everything around here? Why me?" _

_ Viridi sighed. "It's fate, Pittoo. I can't explain it. Phosphora, give him the reins to the Lightning Chariot."_

_"Aw, but Mistress -_

_ "No buts! You can use it later, but right now, since Pittoo can't fly anymore, he needs transportation, and I don't want to bother using my Power of Flight on him right now. Plus, I don't think you want to ram head-first into Hades' heart, do you, Pittoo?" She smirked._

_ I shuddered. "No thanks. Fine." I sighed. "I'll go wait by the door."_

_ Viridi grinned. "That's my little angel. And if you do this, I'll make you a commander in the Forces of Nature!"_

_ I stopped and turned around. "What?" I asked, frowning. Even Phosphora and Arlon, who were pushing the Chariot towards the door, turned in shock towards Viridi._

_ "You heard me. Palutena isn't the only one who can have an angel as a commander," Viridi grinned. "And you've proven yourself with fighting the Chaos Kin. Why not?" She shrugged._

_ I turned around, crossing my arms and walking back towards the door. "I'll think about it." I lifted my arm, pointing at her. "But that's not a yes!"_

* * *

"Wow, you could've been a commander in the Forces of Nature?" Magnus gasped. "Amazing.."

"I'm getting to that, Magnus," Dark Pit sighed, "hold on."

* * *

_I thought long and hard about her deal. I didn't think it was worth it. I'd probably have to hang around Viridi's base all the time, at her beck and call. Kind of like right now, in fact. Always doing whatever she told me. Ugh._

_ But where was I supposed to go? I couldn't fly on my own anymore, I couldn't exactly run anywhere, and I had no goal anymore, since I couldn't go trying to kill Pit. I supposed a goddess could let me fly, but that wasn't the same as controlling my wings for any amount of time I wanted to any destination I wanted. My wings were now literally cut, and my freedom along with it._

_ I supposed that wasn't a huge deal right now, since I heard Viridi yelling at me to go through the gate. I hopped on the Lightning Chariot and started the reins, riding through the air towards Hades._

_ The god of the Underworld seemed much larger than he was when I first saw him. Luckily, I was behind him, so he didn't notice. Inside, I was freaking out, but I knew Viridi was probably watching to see if I messed up, so I kept my cool. _

_ Then, I saw a massive explosion from around Hades' heart. Viridi shouted, _Now!_, into my head, and I grabbed the reins once again, shooting forward towards the explosion. I kept my eyes open for Pit, and I found him, flying through the air - but not on his wings, just from the explosion. I grabbed him, and we were off._

_ Palutena warped us back into Skyworld, but I don't know why I was there, because as soon as I got there and Pit stepped off the chariot, Viridi warped me to her domain. The last thing I saw in Skyworld was Pit's confused and hurt face. I felt a twinge in my gut away, but it wasn't pity. _

_ And then, I think you know what happened. Pit fought Hades with the Great Sacred Treasure, he defeated Hades, we flew, and then I ended up here._

* * *

"Wow," Magnus sighed. "Rough. I can understand why you'd want to sleep," he chuckled.

Dark Pit sighed. "Yeah."

"So," the mercenary asked, "you ever tell Viridi what you were thinking?" He leaned back in his seat, gulping down the last of his drink.

"No," the angel replied. "I figure if she wants to know, she'll come ask me. I don't want to think about that now though." He yawned. "Ugh."

"Need some sleep, skia?" Magnus asked. "You've been through a lot, I gather."

Dark Pit groaned. "Nggh." He fell forward, but Magnus caught him.

_I'll take that as a yes, _the mercenary thought, chuckling to himself as he carried the angel somewhere safe.

* * *

***This is what happened in the Japanese version of the game; Dark Pit injured his leg in a vague way, and I thought that was more realistic (for a video game hurr durr). Have you seen the Underworld Gatekeeper? It's gigantic and metal. That would hurt to kick in the face.**

**Sorry, Magnus fans! I like him too, but since this was just a recap of pretty much everything, he couldn't really do too much besides comment on Dark Pit's life.**

**Posted 2.8.15**


	3. Mysterious Iterations

_Desc: "The Chaos Kin is going to destroy Pittoo! Can't you see what's at stake here? I don't CARE if my wings catch fire!" An introspection into Pittoo and why "his and Viridi's interests just happen to overlap."_

**Chapter 3 - Mysterious Iterations**

**Author's Note: So sorry this is late! I've been busy with schoolwork..Plus it was my birthday last week, and I bought both a new iPod and 3DSXL. That's no excuse, but hey, new chapter, right? :)**

** Thanks ShadmeTheAngel for reviewing! It makes my day (or week, heh…) to see your reviews, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter! Now, on with the story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kid Icarus or any characters or events contained within this story from said game. All rights to said characters and events are owned by Nintendo.**

_"I'd love to get my hands on Ptooey's soul! So dark, so chewy, so malleable! A soul like that shouldn't be wasted on ol' Chomper's lunch."_

* * *

"Unnngh… Where am I?"

Blackness. Then, a soft light. A harsh red, like a burning flame. Then blackness once more.

A voice; sharp and melodic; staccato, like a raging tide. "Wonderful," it muttered, muddled through the haze of his mind.

Wind; harsh, but calming. Hair poked his eyes.

An explosion; flame singed his skin, almost soothingly, but causing welts. Smoke enveloped his nose and mouth.

"...What happened?…"

* * *

Dark Pit awoke, his entire body almost afire. His wings were wafting with a familiar smell, one he shuddered just thinking about. Burning feathers.

_Oh crap, how… Did my wings burn up?! _he thought.

He frantically turned around to peek at his wings, but immediately winced. Then he noticed all the piercing red welts on his skin.

_How did THIS happen? _he thought in shock, eyes wide at the sight. _What's going on?!_

For now, he was confined to the ground, as his body was too damaged, and he could no longer use his Power of Flight to hover around. Plus, his wings ached, so even if he had the ability to fly without magic, it wouldn't be possible.

He sighed. _At least I'm not dead; nothing must have happened to Pit._

_But what happened to me? _he thought as he lay back down, slowing closing his eyes.

* * *

More memories. A giant dust cloud and Underworld monsters appeared in the already deserted town. Micks, Monoeyes, Stackjaws, Ganewmedes, Handoras, and more filled the skies, clouding out the sun. Grabbing his trusty Silver Bow from the safe house he had mysteriously woken up in, he ran out and shot at as many demons as he could. Magnus joined the fray, swiping his sword - club? He wasn't sure anymore - at stray Handoras.

The town was quickly overwhelmed, and Dark Pit was losing stamina. He hoped all the people in the area had left, as he still felt guilt from killing all those people while he was in limbo, even if it wasn't actually him.

"Look out, skia!" the shout came from the distance. Then, a large dark brown and green bug that he'd never hoped he'd have to deal with again shot up from the horizon, firing glowing purple fireballs every which way. Noticing the dark angel, it chattered and shot its large sickle tail at him, and he tried jumping out of harm's way...

...Then, darkness once again; suffocating darkness.

* * *

"Oh, Ptoo-ey! Pretty little Ptoooo-ey! Wake UP!"

The dark angel shook his head, blinking his heavy, sleep filled eyes. "Mrrmm...wha?" he murmured, wiping his eyes and pushing off the cold stone ground. He stared up, searching for the source of that strangely familiar, annoying voice. Then he saw him.

Large, flowing and glowing purple cape, purple and red skin, fingers ending in dangerously long sharp claws, infernal blue hair, and that devilishly cocky grin set under those glowing red eyes…

_Oh no.. But that's impossible.. He can't be back yet!_

The dark angel groaned, but kept his voice steady. "Hades. Of course it's you." He rolled his eyes.

"Oh, Ptooey, you never change! Delightfully glum, even in the face of danger!" he beamed, folding his arms and cocking his head. "But don't worry, dear Ptooey, I'm not back yet. Pitty Pat was dreadfully strong, I'm afraid." Quietly, he muttered, "What a shame he never worked for me.."

Turning back towards the recovering angel, he grinned. "But that's where you come in, dear little copy!" His form flickered, and his face lost its grin almost imperceptibly; so much so that Dark Pit almost wrote it off as his own exhaustion. Shaking it off, Hades continued, "Now I have a precious little messenger, thanks to that dreadful chaotic bug."

Dark Pit groaned. _Of course the Chaos Kin was back.. Why not? Why not bring back Medusa and Pandora while we're at it?_

"That bug wasn't my first choice for an ally, but the Chaos Kin is a wonderful puppeteer, and I need a puppet!" Hades grinned. He stared straight into Dark Pit's eyes. "You'll be almost as good as the original, dear Ptooey. I thank you for that."

Hades turned away, seemingly staring at something in the distance. He yelled, "Come on out, little bugger!"

Dark Pit was shocked, eyes wide in panic. _Already?! No!_ He scrambled wildly on the stone floor, turning on his chest and using all his strength to try to get as far away as possible. _I can't do that! Not again!_

_ " - going to destroy Pittoo -"_

_ " - my wings catch fire -"_

But it was too late. His skin ached too much, and the welts sapped too much of his strength. The large green and brown bug appeared once more over the dark red horizon, soaring towards Dark Pit at an incredible speed. Its sickle tail brandished once more, it zoomed towards the angel, who cried out loud in pain.

"Don't worry, little Ptooey," Hades crooned. "I'll see you soon." He smirked.

As Dark Pit felt the sickle pass through his back, he heard a shrill cry in his head. _Pit? _His gut felt increasingly warm and fuzzy, not sharp like it normally did when something in their connection was affected. _Well, this isn't going to be good,_ he thought as his vision faded to black.

* * *

Magnus was exhausted. Dark Pit had disappeared soon after that giant bug showed up to the scene, much to their disadvantage. The fire from enemies had clouded the mercenary's vision, and he was pretty sure he smelled burning fabric. Luckily, Magnus had dispatched most of those monsters, and the few townspeople remaining had returned to their humble abodes.

Suddenly, he heard a loud whinny and felt a jolt of electricity. _It can't be.. _he thought, staring towards the source of the sound. _Is that Phosphora?_

"Where'd that darn bug run off to?" Phosphora whined. "Mistress Viridi will be so mad at me! Darn it!" She slowed the Lightning Chariot to a stop, landing in the town. Phos whinnied, almost in agreement. "Shut up, Phos," she grumbled.

"Hey, electric lady!" Magnus yelled, cupping his hands to his mouth. "I think I know where the bug went!" He stepped towards her, lowering his arms. "Or at least, I think you know who it took."

Phosphora stopped staring at her unicorns, turned towards the mercenary, and cocked her head. "Oh, really? Thanks!" She jumped from the chariot and floated towards him. "Then come with me! Mistress will be so excited when she sees you!"

Magnus' eyes widened, and he stepped back. "Wait, that's not -" he stuttered before Phosphora snatched his leg, plopped him unceremoniously into the chariot, and flew off without another word.

"You do know that your goddess hates humans, right?" Magnus questioned, frowning at Phosphora. He struggled to sit up, as she had thrown him so he was crumpled between the edge of the chariot and the floor.

"Oh yeah, I know that," she waved off. "But Mistress Viridi said this was a 'matter of urgency', so I'm sure she won't mind." She grinned down at him. "Aren't you excited?"

Magnus grunted. "Dark Pit didn't mention you were this hyper," he grumbled. "It's uncomfortable," he continued, squirming in place. The air felt dry and full of static, and the hair on his arms was standing on end.

"You met Pittoo?" Phosphora asked. "Viridi's been looking for him."

Magnus chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, about that.. That's why you took me. He's been captured."

"No way!" she exclaimed. "Who has him?" Then she looked up. "Oh wait, we're here! Hyaa!" She cracked the reins on Phos and Lux, and they landed at the base of Viridi's fortress.

"WHAT IS A HUMAN DOING HERE, PHOSPHORA?" a shrill voice boomed from the tree.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Mistress! He knows where the Chaos Kin is!" Phosphora yelled back, stepping off of the chariot. Phos and Lux whinnied in agreement, while Magnus tried to stand from his crumpled position.

"OH. REALLY? WELL.." The voice, coming from Viridi, sounded skeptical. "I SUPPOSE JUST THIS ONCE, IT WILL BE PERMITTED. BRING HIM IN."

"Phosphora," Magnus whispered as they walked towards the tree, "why couldn't you just ask me where the Chaos Kin went?" He sighed. "I don't want to die."

"Don't be silly, human!" she giggled. "She won't do anything!" She shot a bolt of electricity towards the chariot, narrowly hitting Magnus and causing the chariot to hover in the air. Magnus sighed once more as the two walked into the giant door in the tree together.

_Woah,_ Magnus thought. _I've never seen so many branches before._ He gawked up at the gnarled limbs winding through each other, forming alcoves and nests filled with warm brown leaves and soft green vines. Birds sounded from these nests, filling the air with calming trills and warbles. Forces of Nature troops shot through the air, presumably searching for something as Phosphora had been.

Magnus stopped as he spotted a short girl, about 4 feet tall, wearing a warm red and brown dress. She radiated power, and while on the outside he kept his calm, inside, Magnus was panicking. He knew now who this was.

"Viridi," he said, bowing to her so as not to invoke her wrath. He laid his club on the ground to show he was not a threat.

"Phosphora," Viridi said through gritted teeth, ignoring Magnus, "why do you think you can just bring HUMANS into my domain?" She folded her arms, glaring at the mercenary. "He knows respect for divinity, but still."

"But, Mistress!" Phosphora implored. "He said he knows what happened to the Chaos Kin, remember?" She grinned at Magnus, who glowered at her. "Go on, tell her!"

"Viridi, I have reason to believe that Dark Pit has been taken by the Chaos Kin." Magnus stood up, gathering his courage to stare at the goddess. "He told me of his battles against the Underworld, and I know you two have worked together. You would be able to figure out where he went." He sighed. "Plus, I didn't have a choice coming here. Phosphora here dragged me onto the chariot; don't blame me."

"Hey!"

"Really? You know Pittoo?" Viridi asked. "Why couldn't you save him?" Her face was full of intrigue, so Magnus relaxed a little.

"The town we were staying in was attacked: overrun by Underworld troops. If there hadn't been so many damn monsters, I probably would have been able to save him. But those troops were organized, and they knew what they were doing." He sighed. "I tried my best, believe me."

Viridi groaned. "Of course the dumb angel had to go and get himself captured by the Chaos Kin. OF COURSE!" She paced back and forth on the soft verdant ground, causing small dark leaves to grow in her wake. "Idiot!"

Magnus stared at the frazzled goddess. "Is this because you wanted him to be one of your officers?" _Shoot, maybe I shouldn't have brought that up. _Viridi stopped pacing, her face stiffening.

"Who told you that?!" she yelped. "Oh, if I didn't need you to save him, you wouldn't be standing here right now!"

"Woah there!" Magnus said, "Calm down, please. Dark Pit told me. No need to stress out over it." Phosphora stared at the two in worry, sparks flying around her while she fiddled with her scarf.

Viridi stopped. "Fine." The wind rustled the soft grass beneath her feet. "That's ... That's not important right now anyway. The Chaos Kin is the main threat." She turned toward Phosphora, who looked uncomfortable around her mistress. "Phosphora, please take this ... human ... with you to find the Chaos Kin."

"It's Magnus," Magnus interjected.

"Yes, yes," Viridi waved off. "Anyway, while you were gone Phosphora, I perfected that tracking device you had asked for."

"Now?!" Phosphora whined. "But I was searching for days!"

"Think of it as a convenient plot device!" Viridi grinned, staring up at somewhere in the sky. Magnus and Phosphora spared a confused glance at each other, and Phos and Lux fidgeted behind them.

"Here, Magnus," she offered, shaking her head, "this is the tracking device." She summoned a long green vine, about 6 feet in length, that was covered in lavender blooms. It gave off an eerie maroon aura, and it seemed to be pointing somewhere. "Wrap this around that weapon of yours. It points towards the Chaos Kin, and it'll also give you the power to kill it."

Magnus examined the strange vine, turning it over in his hands. "How does this thing work anyway?" Seeing the goddess' face begin to frown, he put his hands up. "Hey, I'm willing to do anything as long as you don't kill me; I just need to know what I'm dealing with here."

She sighed. "That vine is infused with calming energy and should take away the dumb bug's powers. I should know; after all, it did used to be a Force of Nature!" Viridi stopped, her face stiffening. "Uh, heh.."

"WHAT?!" both Phosphora and Magnus yelled.

"Mistress? You created the Chaos Kin?" Phosphora asked in a shaky voice, tendrils of electricity rippling off her. Phos and Lux whinnied in the background, rearing into the air.

"Well, not exactly..." Viridi sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "That was Mother Gaea. She was a chaotic goddess if there was ever one.." She shook her head. "But that's not important. Right now, I'm the leader of all the Forces of Nature, both present and past, and I say you two need to track down the Chaos Kin before it eats Pittoo's soul." She grimaced. "That wouldn't be a pretty sight."

"No, it wouldn't," Magnus agreed. "Let's get a move on, Phosphora." He glared at Viridi with newfound confidence. "And _maybe _when we get back, she'll explain how she got control of the Chaos Kin."

"Ok, Magnus!" Phosphora grinned. "Ready for a field trip to who knows where with me, alone?" Phos and Lux nickered, and she frowned. "Oh, and those two Nutskis?" she added, pointing at the unicorns.

Magnus began wrapping the vine around the hilt of his club as he and Phosphora walked towards the Lightning Chariot. The vine insisted on bothering him, however, and tied itself around his writst as well; in short, it connected him to his weapon. _Convenient_. "Yep, it'll be the highlight of my day," he grumbled. "Let's just go already."

"Impatient much?" Phosphora giggled as the two stepped onto the chariot. Magnus sighed, finishing the knots on the vine as the chariot shot into the air.

Watching the chariot fly away, Viridi frowned. "Something feels off about this." She stepped through the leaves on the ground, walking towards her private chambers.

Suddenly, she shuddered. _Someone's here; but how? _Closing her eyes, she examined her fortress in her mind's eye, delving for the disturbance. _Aha! _A dark force had appeared in the central courtyard. Viridi warped herself to that courtyard, hoping to glean some information from the new intruder.

* * *

"Pittoo? What are you doing here?"

Viridi had reached the courtyard, but she stopped, shocked at the sight. Dark Pit stood in the center of the garden, staring up at a large, regal fountain.

"Oh, thank the various gods!" she breathed, relaxing her stance. "When that human Magnus said you were captured by, well, by THAT, I thought he told the truth." She scoffed. "Imagine that, Pittoo. A human, actually telling the truth! Ha!"

Viridi stood there, laughing to herself. After a few moments, though, she took a good, long look at Dark Pit. His gaze seemed blank, and he stood still as the statue he saw in the middle of the fountain. Wrapped in a faint glowing maroon, Dark Pit's visage was almost otherworldly, which disturbed the nature goddess.

"Pittoo? Hell-oooo?" She waved her staff in front of his eyes, but he didn't react; he simply stared, his eyes opaque and blank, devoid of their trademark blood-red. Viridi cocked her head. _This isn't like Pittoo, _she thought. _Usually he would laugh at those kinds of jokes... And his eyes are freaking me out; so unnatural! _She shuddered.

Then Dark Pit turned around, focusing those blank eyes on Viridi. His wings fluttered, releasing specks of sparkling maroon energy. "Hello there, Viridi," he droned in an uncanny monotone. "It's good to see you." He nodded mechanically, adding a quick bow. "I got everything I need now, but we will see each other soon." He bent his legs bracing for flight, leapt, and, enveloping his wings in that maroon light, flew off through the natural skylight in the garden.

"Wait!" Viridi yelled, reaching her hand out as if to grab him. "You just got back!"

The angel's flight slowed, and he turned his head towards the goddess. For a brief instant, his face wrinkled, his lips whispered, "Help me!", and his eyes gained a little life almost immediately, he returned to that robotic state he had been in before, leaving the emotionally drained Viridi standing alone in her sacred courtyard.


End file.
